Warning: Consumer rant follows.
I have been a T mobile customer since 1999 which I first acquired a mobile phone. I even run my account in credit. Today my Nokia phone died. No screen. Nada.
Not good when my husband is at the airport trying to text me.
Ah well, I was waiting until my contract ran out on 30th Sept to get an I-phone. So I will have to pay 2 months contract and change now. Such is life. I need a phone now.
Now, T-Mobile do not offically do I-phones. But a lady in a T Mobile shop told me that if you ring to say to are moving to get an I-phone they will do you one. And indeed, when I press 2 then 4 then 1 to speak to the Customer Loyalty team they will indeed. They will do me a 24 month contract on the 3GS for £35 with 600 minutes and unlimited data and text. Just what I need. And the phone will cost £90.
Ah. But Orange will do the exact same price plan and the phone for free.
I ring T-Mobile back.
T-mobile appreciate my problem. And, when they officially launch the I-Phone 4 ( which I am not bothered about having) they will be able to give me the phone for free. That is in 2 weeks time.
So they want me to pay £90 for 2 weeks use of a phone?
I need a phone now. I suggest they talk to a manager.
The manager, Sandra, appreciates my problem too. But they cannot give me a free phone.
But they probably will in 2 weeks.
They tell me that is is not good business practice to lose a 2 year contract for the sake of two weeks or indeed for £90 but they are sorry, that is what they are going to do.
But, all is not lost - because I am such a loyal customer, they tell me, I will get a very good deal on the I-phone 4 ( which I do not want) in two weeks time ( which is too late).
It does indeed seem that for T Mobile the I-phone 4 will change everything again. Because for this user the future appears to be orange.
Grrr.
5 comments:
Cell phone companies drive me crazy. I know of no other industry that has such complicated marketing strategies and so many arbitrary rules. Grrr, indeed.
This is one reason I have a pay-as-you-go. Admittedly I don't use it much..
On the news the other day they mentioned many problems with the new iphone, so don't get tempted. If you go into Carphonewarehouse they will sell you a very cheap phone for under £15 and it has £10 of credit on it. That would see you through the next couple of weeks... or if you have your old phone in a drawer, change the sim over to it....
Mobile companies drive me nuts..
sounds like the same problems in the USA as there... Never been happy with any of them. My son refuses to have a cell phone.
Loyalty means nothing nowadays. When these things happen I think "buy shares in that company; they don't need the business, so they are doing really well!".
Personally, I have a cheap Vodafone Nokia pay as you go phone for calls and texts (Vodafone have greatest coverage of any phone company and I spend about £10 a year on calls and texts) and an i-touch on wi-fi that costs me nothing. Simples!
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